Our God will adjust our seasons in a way that will bring us into His promise, but it requires a willingness to step into the season change.

The other day I was talking to my daughter who lives on the east coast. She was excitedly talking about spring, and I told her that I didn’t know why she liked it so much!! What’s the big deal??!!

She went on to explain that she liked what spring represented…new life, new beginnings. And I wanted to agree with her. I wanted to find joy in spring the way that she does! But…I didn’t…and I don’t.

It took me a bit of chewing on it until I figured it out…I don’t like spring because I LOVE winter. It’s not that I harbor ill feelings toward the spring season itself, it’s just that I adore the winter season.

The glittery snow falling to the ground gives everything a surreal sparkle. When the snow drapes the trees and lingers for a few hours longer it looks like I walked into Narnia. And when we get ice that clings to the branches it is absolutely magical.

I love the cold weather…even the REALLY cold, below zero, kind of weather. Snuggling up on my couch with a blanket, coffee, and a book while watching the snow slowly drift from the heavens is my idea of a perfect day.

Oh, and a full moon on a snowy night is something that is otherworldly!! 

So I was puttering around my house the other day thinking exactly what I just wrote here..winter is great…when another thought went through my mind…” And anyway, who cares about new life and beginnings when I like the old ones so much!”

Whoa!!!!!!!!!!!! Dang Girl!!!

I just went to a whole new level!!

After taking a bit to be shocked at my own thought I began to think about how I can see this in the rest of my life as well.

Change…not a fan.

New…not a fan.

Beginnings…not a fan.

I like what I know and I know what I like. I hesitate to move from one season to another because of that.

Right now, I’m in a season change in my life. I am quite uncertain of what the change is, but what I am certain about is that I don’t want to move into it.

Season changes in our lives can be outward changes like moving, marriage, changing jobs, having children, moving into life after the children leave home, etc. But sometimes the season changes are internal.

Internal season changes can be shifts of, shedding off, or taking on new mindsets. These may have an outward effect on the way we walk out our life, or it might be something others never see.

Either way, it is change. And what I am beginning to see for myself is that my dislike of leaving what I know is comfortable for me can hold me back from walking into what He has for me. Especially when there are unknowns.

The Israelites struggled with the same thing. Egypt, though not ideal, was familiar and in a way, comfortable.

“…and the people of Israel said to them, “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” “ Exodus 16:3

We run TO familiar. But, we also run FROM change.

“When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” But God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle.” Exodus 13:17-18

Our God will adjust our seasons in a way that will bring us into His promise, but it requires a willingness to step into the season change. And many times, our flesh wants nothing to do with that change.

Romans 8 tells us that we, as followers of Jesus, are not in the flesh. We have the Spirit of Christ that lives in us and because of this we walk in the Spirit that bring us life and peace. But I sometimes forget to walk in that and instead I dig my fleshy heels in and fight stepping into a new season.

But I don’t want to do that! I want to embrace the seasons with life and peace and trust the season giver.

But it’s hard.  

And God knows that.

So how do we change it? If you go to Romans 8:5 He shows us a plan…“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”

Set our minds on things of the Spirit.

I wish I could now write a paragraph of two and tell you exactly how to do that, but I can’t. The reason I can’t is because it is a struggle that I have as well.

I can, however, look at Israel with you.

In Numbers chapter 13 God told Moses to send some men to spy out the land of Canaan. This was the land God wanted to give to Israel. They went for forty days When they came back, this is what they saw…

“We came to the land to which you sent us. It flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. However, the people who dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are fortified and very large. And besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there.”   Numbers 13:27-28

And this is how most of them responded to what they saw…

“We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.” So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, “The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim, and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.” Numbers 13:31-33

They focused on things of the flesh. The land devours…they are really, REALLY tall…we are not.

But there were two who demonstrate to us what it looks like to focus on things of the Spirit…

“And Joshua the son of Num and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes and said to all the congregation of the people of Israel, “The land, which we passed through to spy it out, is an exceedingly good land. If the LORD delights in us, he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land that flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not fear the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us; do not fear them.”  Numbers 14:6-9

The land is good…the LORD will bring us into the land…do not fear because God is with us.

Do you see the difference?

They were all seeing the same thing. The difference was in their focus. And in the end, the people chose to disobey God because of a focus on flesh as opposed to a focus on Him.

I don’t want to do that!

I don’t know how the jump into my season change is going to go. And I don’t know what the new season will look like. But my prayer is that God will equip me with the courage, steadfastness, and trust to jump into it mirroring the Spirit focus of Joshua and Caleb.

It is good. It is God. And He is with me.

One. Two. Three. JUMP!!!!!!